Railroad ballast spreading guide



May 10, 1966 J. c. STEIN 3,250,027

RAILROAD BALLAST SPREADING GUIDE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l I. i \g-4L l! i I l l INVENTOR. IA gk C- $TE\N ATTORNEYS y 1966 J. c. STEIN 3,250,027

RAILROAD BALLAST SPREADING GUIDE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,104 92 9% 2 \?,2/ I46 46 2o 6 Ho A 120 11/ i. \g-B INVENTOR.

JAcK C. STEuN ATTOE NE VS May 10, 1966 J. c. STEIN RAILROAD BALLAST SPREADING GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 6, 1963 INVENTOR. IAQK. Q. STEIN BY MJDMM ATTOE/VEVS United States Patent 7 RAILROAD BALLAST SPREADING GUIDE Jack C. Stein, J. S. Connelly, Sr., 101 Washington Ave., Whitefish, Mont. 59937 Filed Sept. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 307,247 4 Claims. (Cl. 37-105) This invention relates to a novel railroad shoulder ballast dumping guide adapted to be carried by ballast trains.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of the kind indicated, which saves time, labor, and material in the operation of shoulder ballast trains, by

- eliminating guess-work in dumping ballast from cars thereof, eliminating both over-dumping and under-dumping of ballast, and the time and labor-consuming work, otherwise involved, of having to pick up excess ballast and distribute it to under-dumped areas, or of having to go over the dumped areas one or more times, with the ballast train, in order to obtain the desired uniform result.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which is adapted to be supported from wheel trucks of cars of a ballast train, and which is easilyand quickly installed and removed, without the use of tools, and which involves spaced inner and outer longitudinal guide plates, which determine the width of ballast shoulders, and a transverse'shaper plate, which determines the shapes or contours of ballast shoulders, the outer guide plate being adjustable toward and away from the inner guide plate for determining the transverse widths of ballast shoulders, as, for example, when, as is usually the case, the ballast shoulders at the high sides of banked roadbed curves, should be wider than ballast shoulders along straight portions of roadbeds, or the ballast shoulders at the low sides of such curves.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic top plan View showing devices of the present invention installed on a wheel truck of a car of a ballast train, and indicating dumping of ballast to be worked by the devices;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing a single device of the present invention installed on a car wheel truck and in operative relation to ballast dumped on a roadbed shoulder from the car and in process of being shaped by the device; I

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

7 FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE 3, portions of the associated wheel truck being-shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, portions being broken away and in section;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of the device, per se.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 generally designates a side unit of a dumping car wheel truck, and comprises a longitudinally elongated vertical frame 12 having wheels 14 journalled at its inboard side at its ends, and running on a rail 16 supported on roadbed ties 18, the ties 18 having outer ends 20 at which a shaped shoulder ballast 22 is adapted to be formed. The wheel truck unit frame 10 has, adjacent to its ends, lower longitudinally inwardly declining bars 24.

Patented May 10, 1966 ice In according with the present invention, a device, generally designated 26, is mounted on and extends laterally outwardly or in an outboard direction, from the wheel truck unit frame 10. The device 2 comprises a mounting bracket assembly 28, and a working assembly 30, adjustably carried by the bracket assembly 28.

The bracket assembly 28 comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced and aligned horizontal arms 32, which are spaced and connected by a U-shape 34, and which have each a pair of longitudinally spaced, laterally inwardly extending lugs 36 and 38, which are adapted to bear supportably against the outboard surface of the truck frame 12. The lugs 36 and 38 are spaced inwardly from the outer ends 40 of the arms 32, and longitudinally outwardly from the lugs 38. The arms 32 are provided with centered bolt holes 42, through which bolts 44 extend.

1 The bolts 44 extend through bolt holes 46, provided in the lower ends of vertically elongated uprights 48, which have rows of vertically spaced holes 50, through which bolts 52 are adapted to be selectively engaged for carrying, at selected elevations, U-shaped clamp brackets 54 which extend laterally inwardly from the uprights 48, and embrace the truck unit frame bars 24. The brackets 54 comprise bight portions 56, through which the bolts 52 extend, and parallel legs 58, which are formed, along their free edges, with angled rows of holes 60, through which manually removable pins 62 are adapted to be selectively engaged to bear wedgingly against the inboard surfaces of the truck unit frame bars 24, whereby the bracket assembly 28 is securely mounted on the frame 12.

The horizontal arms 32 of the bracket assembly 28 have fixed thereto, adjacent to the ends of the U-shape 34, pairs of spaced horizontal, laterally outwardly extending arms 64, which are formed with longitudinal rows of bolt holes 66, through which pivot bolts 68 are selectively engageable, whereby the working assembly 30 is operatively connected to the bracket assembly 28.

The working assembly 30 comprises a longitudinally elongated fiat, vertically disposed perpendicular inner ballast guide plate 70, having a continuous horizontal lower edge 72, the horizontal upper edge 74 of the plate 70 being preferably downwardly angled, as indicated at 76, to the ends of the plate 70. Horizontal, vertically disposed ears 78 are suitably affixed, as indicated at 80, to and extend laterally inwardly from the inner guide plate 70, adjacent to its upper edge 74, and at the ends thereof. As shown in FIGURE 3, the ears extend slightly above the upper edge 74, and are formed, near their free ends 82, which are rounded, with vertically elongated oval slots 84,

through which the pivot bolts 68 extend. The slots 84 provide free pivoting of the working assembly 30, relative to the bracket assembly 28, on the axes of the pivot bolts, and limited up and down movements of the assemblies relative to each other, whereby the working assembly 30 can maintain uniform working contact with shoulder ballast, despite minor variations in height and uneveness of the roadbed rail 16, as the associated ballast car C, moves therealong, in either direction. The working assembly 30 is equally efiective in either direction of movement of a ballast train.

The working unit 30 further comprises parallel spaced laterally outwardly extending, coplanar horizontal rods, which consist of a middle rod 86, and outer rods 88, which are suitably afiixed, at their laterally inward ends, in notches 90, formed in the upper edges 74 of the inner ballast guide plate 70, the outer rods 88 being aligned with the ears 78. The middle rod 86 is tubular.

The middle rod 86 has secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom the inner section 92 of a vertical transverse shoulder ballast shaper plate assembly 94. The inner section 92, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 7, is of elongated rectangular form and has a continuous horizontal lower edge 96, and is suitably aflixed, at its inboard edge, to the inner guide plate 70. The section 92 has a short upper edge portion 98 affixed, as indicated at 100, to the underside of the middle rod 86, and a long upper edge portion 102 which extends to the outer end of the section, and which is spaced downwardly from the rod 86.

Outer tubes 104 and a middle tube 106 are slidably telescoped on the rods 88 and 86, respectively, the outer tubes 104 having set screws 108, adapted to be turned against the outer rods 88 for locking adjustments of the tubes on the rods. It is to be noted that the tubes 104 and 106 which are slidably telescoped upon the rods 88 and 86 constitute the means connecting the outer guide plate 124 to the inner guide plate 70 for movement of the outer guide plate 124 toward and away from the inner guide plate 70.

The middle tube 106 carries the outer section 110, of the shaper plate assembly 94, which is in sliding contact with one side of the inner section 92 thereof, and a locking bolt 112 extends through a hole 114 provided in the section 92, and through "a longitudinal horizontal adjustment slot 116 provided in the outer section 110. The outer shaper section 110, as shown in FIGURE 3, is longer and deeper than the inner section 92 and extends therebelow.

The outer scraper assembly section 110 has its upper edge aflixed, as indicated at 118, to the underside of the -middle tube 106, and'a straight lower edge 120 which extends at adownward and laterally outward angle, from the lower end of the inner edge 122 of the section 110, this angle corresponding to the desired slope of a finished shoulder ballast 22. The outer edge of the section 110 is suitably afiixed to an outer ballast guide plate 124, which parallels the inner ballast guide plate 70.

The outer ballast guide plate 124 is perpendicular to the horizontal, is longer than the inner guide plate 70 and has a centered horizontal upper edge portion 126 and longitudinally outwardly declining upper edge portions 128. The resultant relatively shallow end portions 130 of the guide'plate 124 are curved longitudinally and laterally outwardly, so as to serve as pusher cams for pushing ballast in a laterally inward direction to the'laterally inward ballast-forming surface 132 of the outer guide plate 124.

The outer guide plate 124 is stiffened, along its upper edge portions 126 and 128, by reinforcing bars 134 and 136, respectively, suitably aflixed to the laterally outward surface of the plate 124, the bars 136 having downwardly extending extensions 138 which are affixed, at their lower ends, to a horizontal longitudinal depth gauge flange 140.

The flange 140 is affixed to the outer surface of the plate 124, on a level parallel to and spaced above the continuous of the handle 162, with the set screws 108 and the clamping bolt 112 loosened, for moving the outer guide plate 124, toward or away from the inner guide plate 70, as may be required for properly proportioning the width of portions of shoulder ballast formed by the transmit of the device along a roadbed, including straight portions, and curved portions thereof wherein the outside shoulder ballasts are wider than the inside shoulderballasts thereof. After producing the desired spacings of the inner and outer guide plates, the set screws 108 and the clamping bolt 112 are retightened to aid the screw 158 in maintaining the spacings.

In operation, and as partially shown in FIGURE 1, devices 26 having been installed on the opposite sides of the rear wheel truck of say, the fifth car from the head of a ten-car train traveling forwardly, in the direction of the arrow, the train is started forwardly, at a walking pace, with men stationed on the forward cars. The man in the first car then starts dumping ballast so that the ballast falls on the roadbed at the outer ends of the ties 18 and between the guide plates 70 and 124, at the rate of about three-fifths of the total ballast to be so deposited to constitute the desired shoulder ballast. Then ballast is similarly dumped by the man in the fourth car, noting how much has already been dumped, to the extent only to fill the space between the guide plates 70 and 124, without overflow, so that further forward movement of the train shapes and compacts the finished shoulder ballast.

The first man usually dumps the first three cars of the train and the second man the fourth and fifth cars. When these first four cars are empty, the guides are removed and replaced on the rear wheel truck of the tenth car. The first man then dumps cars 6, 7 and 8 and the second man dumps cars 9 and 10. These operations are repeated every five cars until the ballast train-is empty. Two men on each side of the train are required to handle and adjust the guide plates 70 and 124, so that ballasting work is carried on simultaneously on each side of the train.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the horizontal lower edge 142 of the plate 124, the ends of the flange 140 being spaced from the pusher cams 130. The flange 140 is adapted to ride upon the ballast and prevent the outer guide plate 124 from penetrating beyond a desired depth in the ballast 22. The outer tube 104 and the middle tube 106 have downwardly extending portions 144 and 146, respectively, which are aflixed to the outer surface of the guide plate 124, and are aflixed, at their lower ends, to the flange 140.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the middle tube 106 reaches outwardly beyond its extension 146, and has a cap 148 threaded, as indicated at 150, on its outer end. The web 152 of the cap 148 is provided with a centered journal hole 154, in which turns a screw 158, having an enlarged diameter head 160, on its outer end, which is provided with a lateral handle 162. The screw 158 extends inwardly through the tube 106 and through a washer 163 fixed to the screw, and is threaded through a nut 64 which is fixed to an end wall 166, fixed in the outer end of the bore of the middle rod 86. A washer 168 is circumpose d on the screw 158, between the head 160 and the ground head 160 and the web 152 of the cap 148. The screw 158 is adapted to be rotated, in opposite directions, by means claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a railroad car wheel truck-having a side unit frame, said frame having an outboard side, a mounting bracket assembly mounted on and extending from the outboard side of the frame, and a shoulder ballast working assembly connected to the bracket assembly and extending in an outboard direction from the bracket assembly, said Working assembly comprising an inner vertical longitudinal ballast guide plate, an outer vertical longitudinal ballast guide plate, means connecting the outer guide plate to the inner guide plate for movement of the outer guide plate toward and away from the inner guide plate, screw means operatively connected to said guide plates connecting means for moving the outer guide plate toward and away from the inner guide plate, and a vertical transverse ballast shaper plate assembly positioned between the inner and outer guide plates, said shaper plate assembly comprising an inner section fixed to the inner guide plate, and an outer section fixed to the outer guide plate, said sections being slidably engaged with each other.

2. The combination according to claim 1, which includes in addition means for locking the sections together in adjusted positions of the guide plates.

3. The combination according to claim 1, which includes in addition a horizontal depth gauge flange projecting laterally from the outer gauge plate and spaced above the lower edge thereof.

4. In combination, a railroad car wheel truck having a side unit frame, saidframe having an outboard side, a mounting bracket assembly mounted on and extending from the outboard side of the frame, and a shoulder ballast working assembly connected to the bracket assembly and extending in an outboard direction from the bracket assembly, said working assembly comprising an inner vertical longitudinal ballast guide plate and an outer vertical longitudinal ballast guide plate, and a vertical transverse ballast shaper plate assembly positioned between the inner and outer guide plates, and a horizontal depth gauge flange projecting laterally from the outer guide plate and spaced above the lower edge thereof, said guide plates being in parallel relationship and the shaper plate assembly disposed at right angles thereto, horizontal rod means fixed to and extending laterally outwardly from the inner guide plate, tube means slidably telescoped on the rod means, said tube means being fixed to the outer ballast guide plate, and screw means associated with the tube means and the rod means for moving the outer guide plate toward and away from the inner guide plate, said shaper plate assembly comprising an inner section fixed to the inner guide plate, an outer section fixed to the outer guide plate, said sections being slidably engaged with each other, and means for locking the sections together in adjusted positions of the guide plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,525,729 2/1925 Gannon et al. 37-l05 2,830,391 4/1958 Bruno et a1 37105 3,019,536 2/1962 Kershaw 37104 3,080,665 3/1963 Keller et a1 37-104 FOREIGN PATENTS 882,608 11/1961 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Bingmann: German application 1,023,479, printed Jan. 30, 1958, KL. 19a /02.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiner.

M. J. HILL, R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiners. 

4. IN COMBINATION, A RAILROAD CAR WHEEL TRUCK HAVING A SIDE UNIT FRAME, SAID FRAME HAVING AN OUTBOARD SIDE, A MOUNTING BRACKET ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON AND EXTENDING FROM THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE FRAME, AND A SHOULDER BALLAST WORKING ASSEMBLY CONNECTED TO THE BRACKET ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING IN AN OUTBOARD DIRECTION FROM THE BRACKET ASSEMBLY, SAID WORKING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN INNER VERTICAL LONGITUDINAL BALLAST GUIDE PLATE AND AN OUTER VERTICAL LONGITUDIANL BALLAST GUIDE PLATE, AND A VERTICAL TRANSVERSE BALLAST SHAPER PLATE ASSEMBLY POSITIONED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER GUIDE PLATES, AND A HORIZONTAL DEPTH GAUGE FLANGE PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE OUTER GUIDE PLATE AND SPACED ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF, SAID GUIDE PLATES BEING IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP AND THE SHAPER PLATE ASSEMBLY DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, HORIZONTAL ROD MEANS FIXED 